Government Working to Change Views on Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships have never been as important as they are in 2019. With world of work and professional development experts CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) stating that only 52% of graduates are entering graduate-level jobs after university, the opportunity to earn money while harnessing skills, is a path that many students should be considering.

National training and apprenticeship providers, Solvo Vir, specialise in adult apprenticeships, along with supporting the Apprenticeship Levy process within all of the courses that we provide, making us an extremely accessible and approachable company. We also offer a select range of training options for existing staff, along with choices for new starters, which means you can easily strengthen the skills and wellbeing of your teams at all levels.

This coincides with a new government incentive that aims to publicise the benefits of apprenticeships for new-starters in a workplace, and to spread awareness of the professional development potential they deliver for current employees as well.

Why offer an apprenticeship at your place of work?

Nowadays there is lots of information out there relating to apprenticeships that people of any demographic can peruse, and this content is easily accessible. This is mainly down to the Baker Clause that was backed by the government in 2017. There are still many schools simply not doing enough to expose their pupils to the wide variety of career options out there, or outright resisting due to having their own career curriculums, however limited they may be.

This could be a contributor to the gradual decline in apprenticeship starts since 2016, with Gov.co.uk citing 369,000 apprenticeship starts in 2018, with a drop of 125,200 since the previous year. The Baker Clause means that educational institutes will not have a choice when it comes to supplying professional training contributors.

An attempt to change the views of apprenticeship schemes, from what Hinds described as ‘outdated and snobby’, suggests that the number of people looking for them is set to increase. Education Secretary Damian Hinds said; ‘We are seeing the apprenticeship system in this country come of age, with leading employers waking up to the benefits apprenticeships can bring’. With this in mind, has there ever been a better time for companies to look into taking on potential employees that are so hungry to learn and flourish within their chosen industry?

Fire it Up

To address the reduced uptake of apprenticeships, especially among young people, the Department of Education has launched its new ‘Fire it Up’ campaign. The campaign, despite being launched recently (17th January 2019) is already hugely widespread, and includes adverts on social media and television which couldn’t have come at a better time. Hinds says the ‘Fire it Up’ campaign will aim to shift deeply held views and drive more people towards an apprenticeship. And with so much publicity already, it is set to do just that.

Alim Jalloh, a Channel 4 apprentice, says; ‘Young people like me are thinking about their options. University is a good idea, but it is not for everyone. Ultimately it wasn’t for me because I didn’t feel it was preparing me for the job I really wanted’.

This mindset among young people is what the government hopes to boost with ‘Fire it Up’, and it is greatly important that they do. Gov.co.uk says that 46% of apprenticeship starts in 2016/17 were undertaken by a demographic of over 25 years old, suggesting that the views young people have of apprenticeships need to change.

What about apprenticeships for current employees?

Business growth and productivity is also a hugely important aspect that apprenticeships can deliver. Despite already having a job, it is likely that current employees of companies would eventually like to build up to managerial roles or sharpen their existing skills, opening up opportunities for more responsibility and a higher wage.

The Department of Education has concluded that employers noticed a 78% rise in productivity within their new-starters, but also among people already working for them following an apprenticeship. According to Gov.co.uk, apprenticeships started at either a higher or advanced level far more in 2017/18 than in 2016/17, highlighting the fact that employed learners are taking the plunge more than younger people.

Solvo Vir offers a huge number of vocational workplace apprenticeship training courses, at various levels, depending on your previous professional development and qualifications. Managing Director, Carl Smith said; ‘Half of employers recognise that their leadership and management skills need improving. 85% of net job increases over the last thirty years, centre on management and professional qualifications’.

And for members of the public or employers that may still be skeptical about the lack of a degree, there are now opportunities to undertake degrees with leading universities.

For more information on our Apprenticeship Levy consultation service, or about how our apprenticeships are delivered on-site, take a look at our FAQs, or contact a member of the team on 0330 0539140.